If you couldn’t make The YAppiest Day on Earth, never fear! The YAppiness keeps rolling with epic read giveaways by each of the 17 authors.

This is the 14th YAppiest Giveaway! forRootless, by Chris Howard. For a chance to win a FREE copy of this book, see the “Here’s How” section below. For a complete list of upcoming giveaways, go here.

Brutally gritty … yet fueled with hope

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan’s never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken . . .

Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can’t escape the locusts—the locusts that now feed on human flesh.

But Banyan isn’t the only one looking for the trees, and he’s running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he’s forced to make an uneasy alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. As they race towards a promised land that might only be a myth, Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees. [Synopsis]

When you lose everything, you’ll try anything…

Banyan’s post-apocalyptic world is as brutal as it is desolate. The people who survived the Darkness, and later the flesh eating locust, are desperate and borderline feral. So when Banyan loses his father in a dust storm, he is driven to search for him; the only family he’s ever known. Luckily, serendipity is in his favor. Banyan takes on a construction project for a despicable man that uncovers secrets to the location of the last living trees on earth, and evidence that his father is there. If he’s still alive.

Banyan’s harrowing journey to find his father and the last living trees on earth, throws him together with unlikely comrades who prove their worth as friends when the going gets ugly. And trust me, “ugly” is an understatement. Howard doesn’t pull any punches with this fully realized view of what our world could become. The characters are drawn with realistic brush strokes as well, revealing the harshness of their flaws. This is not a “light” read. But the ugliness of the world makes the threads of hope and humanity woven through the main characters shine all the brighter. I can’t tell you much more about the plot without spoiling this monumental story for you.

What continues to resonate with me long after finishing the last page of Rootless, are its thematic questions: “What defines family?” and “Where do you draw the morality line?”

But that’s just my interpretation. Which is what’s great about a good story — it touches each of us on a personal level. Here’s what Chris Howard says about Rootless on his blog:

In ROOTLESS I tried to draw an analogy between human creativity with the forces of nature and the cycle of life.

Rootless is the first book in a series. For more information about Chris Howard and the upcoming books in this series, visit his web site: chrishowardbooks.com

Here’s how to win…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of a copy of this book is open to residents of the United States only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Leave a comment on this blog–explaining WHY you want to read this book— by midnight, November 22nd (1 entry).

Tweet about this giveaway, including #yappiest in your tweet (1 entry).

I’ll tally the entries and choose a winner, then announce it on this blog on Monday, November 25th. Good luck!